Roof ripped off by Storm Éowyn lightning strike

Footage has captured the moment lightning struck a house, tearing its roof off.

Storm Éowyn swept across parts of the UK on Friday, with wind gusts reaching 83mph (134 km/h) in Cumbria.

Dave Anderson, who was visiting the property in Shap at the time, said there was an "almighty flash and then within seconds, there was an enormous bang".

He said the homeowners were shaken up but not injured and that "most of the contents of the loft will be scattered all over the village".

The shocking moment was recorded on a doorbell camera.

Mr Anderson told BBC Radio Cumbria a group of five people were sitting in the front room on Friday, catching up over a coffee.

After the flash and the bang, he and the owner stepped out to check the damage.

"There was slates, loft insulation everywhere, bits of timber," he said.

"The roof was completely gone"

The flying roof had ripped the chimney off another property and landed in a small garden nearby, which backs on to train tracks.

Mr Anderson said: "It put a load of timber on to the railway line.

"Fortunately, the trains had been cancelled on Friday because of the weather."

He said the owners were "very upset" as the house had been completely renovated about 18 months ago.

"It's looking like a total loss," Mr Anderson said.

The house has been left "very exposed" as sheets, which had been placed over the roof, had become waterlogged in the subsequent rain, he said.

He said 15 people ended up coming over on Friday to see if they could help.

The owners are staying in a nearby property that has been donated to them, and structural engineers and assessors are due to visit this week.

Mr Anderson added: "It's a long job but, at the end of the day, no-one got hurt."

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